Iheoma U. Iruka, Ph.D., is a Research Professor in the Department of Public Policy, a Fellow at the Frank Porter Graham, Child Development Institute (FPG), and Founding Director of the Equity Research Action Coalition at FPG at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Iruka served as Chief Research Innovation Officer at HighScope Educational Research Foundation and the inaugural research director at the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska. Dr. Iruka is engaged in projects and initiatives focused on how evidence-informed policies, systems, and practices in the early years can support the optimal development and experiences of children from low-wealth and marginalized households and communities. Her work focuses on family engagement and support, quality rating and improvement systems, and the early care and education system and programs. Dr. Iruka focuses on ensuring excellence for young diverse learners, especially Black children and their families, through the intersection of anti-bias/anti-racist research, program, and policy. Dr. Iruka serves and has served on numerous national and local boards and committees, including the Brady Education Foundation, Trust for Learning, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committees, and the American Psychological Association’s Board of Educational Affairs Racial Disparities in PreK-12 Education.

She has a B.A. in Psychology from Temple University, an M.A. in Psychology from Boston University, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in applied developmental psychology from the University of Miami, FL.